The practice of getting pierced dates back about 5,000 years. Yep, the act of putting sharp objects through ones skin isn't an idea we conjured up in the past couple of decades — or even centuries — but it's still holding on strong. The It Girl smiley piercing has been trending as of lately and a handful of celebrities have been seen sporting the more inconspicuous nipple piercings.

Compared to getting a tattoo, piercings can be a wee bit more intimidating (What, the idea of a complete stranger sticking a foreign object in you doesn't make you giddy with excitement?!). J. Colby Smith of New York Adorned equates the act to riding a roller coaster. "You wait in line, you're like, 'A-ha it's really scary,' but it's really fun once you actually do it," he says. "People just get scared, which is totally normal — I feel like it's part of the experience."

Just like a roller coaster, once that minute-long ride is over, you often want to come back for more. But before you even get in line, there are some things you need to keep in mind. While the one and done appeal is great, the aftermath is a little more involved — but no less important. As Brian Keith Thompson of Body Electric explains, one of the first things you should ask yourself is: Do I have time to take care of this? "Piercings are a kind of instant gratification thing — you do them with your friends, you're having fun, you go to a piercing place, and you're like, 'Let's do this.' But not always do you think about how long it's going to take to heal," he says. "You have to think about piercings as a long-term thing...You can't take a new piercing in and out; the human body just doesn't heal overnight."